Ryan Day’s No. 1 Ohio State squad suffered a 13-10 loss to Curt Cignetti’s No. 2 Indiana, costing the Buckeyes the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The win snapped a 36-year skid for the Hoosiers, who hadn’t beaten Ohio State since 1988.
Indiana improved to 13-0 and preserved its unbeaten season, while Ohio State’s hopes for a flawless season came to an end. The Buckeyes also had a chance to win their first Big Ten Championship since the 2020 season, but they failed in the mission.
Ryan Day and Ohio State Seek To Confront Indiana Defeat Head-On
Indiana captured its first Big Ten championship since 1967 with a win over Ohio State at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Leading up to the game, Day had said about the goal of stopping Indiana from establishing “balance,” but it was Ohio State that struggled to find rhythm during the game.
After the narrow three-point loss, Day took responsibility rather than making excuses.
“At the end of the day that’s our job to come out here and execute and win games,” Day said. “So you know we’re not going to make any excuses about any of this. We wanted to win this game. The guys had a good week of practice. But at the end of the day, we know we came up short.
“So we’ve got to get back and figure out why that happened and what the issues were and you know get it fixed because you know the season’s not over and there’s a lot of football ahead of us, and hopefully we can use this as a way to get better as we head into the playoffs.”
“The season’s not over, got a lot of football ahead of us, and hopefully we can use this as a way to get better as we head into the playoffs.”
Ryan Day says they’re “not making any excuses” for No. 1 Ohio State’s loss to No. 2 Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game. pic.twitter.com/PvCybY1qTI
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2025
Ohio State started strong, scoring a touchdown in the first quarter and adding a field goal in the second to lead 10–6 at halftime. However, their offense stalled in the second half and was unable to complete drives or break through Indiana’s disciplined defense.
Cignetti’s squad made the most of its opportunities, with Fernando Mendoza leading a crucial third-quarter drive that produced the game-winning touchdown. Their defense dominated late, holding the Buckeyes scoreless in the second half.
Bo Jackson rushed for 83 yards on 17 carries, Jeremiah Smith caught eight passes for 144 yards, and Julian Sayin went 21-of-29 for 258 yards and a touchdown.
Heading into the game, Ohio State had been ranked No. 1 in the PFSN College Football Playoff Rankings. Day’s squad will learn their next opponent during Sunday’s ESPN College Football Playoff Selection Show.